Art Garfunkel's second solo album "Breakaway" became his biggest success. While it did not quite match the good chart position as its predecessor "Angel Clare", but in the long term were more units of it over the counter. We look for reasons. Of course, there would be "My Little Town" as new "flawless" Simon & Garfunkel title. Although has always been Paul Simon regularly to Art Garfunkel's solo albums as a guest, but he considers himself as a singer and guitar player more in the background - in "My Little Town" on the other hand, he was the author and co-producer as well as an equal partner vocals. The success of the single (No. 9), together with the wave that went through the press with respect to this new cooperation, certainly helped, "Breakaway" to heave upwards, even if - which it is expressly mentioned at this point - this title Garfunkel album occupies a unique position because it does not fit with his bitter text and its production to the overall structure of the rest of the album ... and perhaps precisely for this reason it landed. Then there as another reason Richard Perry mentioned that the remaining album left its usual uniform style as a producer, here in the spirit of Carly Simon and Andy Williams, with whom he had previously worked together: butter soft and catchy pop-rock with enough dexterity to support the singer's voice without cover up accidentally. With his help, Art Garfunkel succeed on this album a couple of outstanding interpretations - Albert Hammond's "99 Miles From LA" is with his raptured acting, gently floating sound simply advised only to kneel down, Stevie Wonder is expected to with Garfunkel's version of "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Would Be Forever) "appreciate more than happy and" I Only Have Eyes For You ", best known certainly in the '50s version of flamingos, shines in new splendor. This would give us the reasons already together, because unfortunately relies on the rest of the album is a thing so often found in Richard Perry: habituation. Perry is not the sort flexible - if he sets himself to produce a soft rock album, it is a consistent soft rock album without major outbreaks and experiments. This works if you have an artist who is able by itself to set a course; Art Garfunkel, so unique his voice might be, but no one who really can. Its strength lies in the perfect, polished presentation, not in improvisation or exploring unusual ways. So Perry delivers his protege a base without rough edges and Art Garfunkel is happening on resting his best not to disturb this basis. Thus, losing even the Beach Boys- "Disney Girls" its ironic contour and the two title just by starting Stephen Bishop ("Looking For The Right One" and "The Same Old Tears On A New Background ') remain relatively colorless when not particularly disturbing. It is unclear whether the selection is due to Art Garfunkel or Richard Perry (or ideally both) - this is certainly very tasty and very promising - with a little more character in the arrangement or the production one would certainly still some titles something can tear, among others, the pale "Rag Doll", which became the ungrateful stopgap between "I Believe" and the title track, and "Same Old Tears". While half of the pieces a bit too complacent and softened comes your way, considering its potential, was so much right with the other half, that the somewhat thinner reactions are largely compensated. With "I Believe", "Breakaway," "My Little Town", "99 Miles From LA" and "I Only Have Eyes For You", the album has to offer a few impressive beads, which justify sure the success of the album, If you also can not completely hide the fact that it with the appropriate implementation or the voltage a little hitch at one point or another.
